Ye Qingfeng and Anby walked side by side toward Lumina Square. Along the way, every cat they passed rushed over and clustered around him—the effect of the Animal Magnetism skill he'd drawn the night before was unmistakable.
He wasn't particularly bothered, though he did watch his steps carefully to avoid accidentally stepping on a furry tail or paw.
Anby, meanwhile, showed a rare spark of interest. Every so often, she would tug Ye Qingfeng to a stop, squat down, and quietly play with the cats clustering near his feet.
From time to time, some fur-faced individuals also cast shy glances in Ye Qingfeng's direction, and a few of the bolder ones even approached to strike up a conversation.
Eventually, Ye Qingfeng grew too annoyed and actively deactivated Animal Magnetism.
Almost instantly, the animals gathered around him scattered. After that, neither spoke much as they continued leisurely toward the park.
At this hour, people with regular jobs were already at work, and lunchtime was still a while off. The park was far less crowded than on weekends or holidays.
"Is there really no one here?" Ye Qingfeng couldn't help asking as he glanced around the empty grounds. He remembered parks usually having visitors at all hours.
"In the morning, some elderly people come to exercise. In the evening, children come to play," Anby said flatly, reciting facts as if from a manual. "People like us, with nothing better to do, don't usually come to the park late in the morning."
"Though what you're saying is technically true…" Ye Qingfeng felt a mild headache forming as he looked at her serious expression. "But would anyone actually—ah, forget it."
I'm tired… I don't even want to talk anymore…
"So why did you ask me to come to the park?" Anby glanced around calmly. "To use the exercise equipment?"
"Exactly!" Ye Qingfeng planted his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. "We're here to exercise!"
"..."
"I'm going back."
For once, Anby's deadpan face showed a hint of exasperation. She turned to leave without another word.
"Wait! Hold on!"
Ye Qingfeng hurriedly grabbed her wrist and blurted out in panic, "I wanted you to spar with me! Yes, that's it!"
"Spar with you?" Anby slowly turned her head, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
Though she didn't quite understand, if Qingfeng said so…
"Come on."
The moment the words left her mouth, a straight punch shot out like lightning and landed squarely on Ye Qingfeng's face.
"What?!" Ye Qingfeng staggered back several steps, clutching his rapidly swelling cheek as he stared at Anby in disbelief. "You…?"
Anby clearly had no interest in explanations. In the next instant, she lunged forward again.
---
By the time the sun reached its zenith, Ye Qingfeng was lying in the park, looking utterly battered.
Before leaving, Anby said simply, "Match over…" and then disappeared from his sight.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch…" Ye Qingfeng struggled to his feet, lifting his shirt to reveal patches of red and purple bruises. His face was full of disbelief. "I can accept losing bare-handed to Ethereals!"
"But why was Anby beating me like I was nothing?!" he complained indignantly. "This Close Quarters Combat skill feels completely fake!"
System! What's the point of that Close Quarters Combat skill I drew?!
[Ding! All issued rewards are genuine. If there's a problem, look to yourself.]
Ye Qingfeng felt on the verge of a heart attack after hearing the system's reply. Look to myself?! Is this really my fault? Anby had him in what felt like permanent stun lock—he couldn't even fight back!
"I want a refund! That Close Quarters Combat skill is totally fake!"
[Trash! Just practice more, okay?]
Hearing Xiaozhi's mocking tone, Ye Qingfeng's fists clenched instantly.
I have a system! If it can't make me invincible, what's the point?!
[Should I leave, then?]
"Ahem! We can still talk this through~"
[Sigh… I'll be honest with you. Among the people you know, aside from the Phaethon siblings, you can't beat anyone.]
"What?!" Ye Qingfeng stared in disbelief. "Then what's the use of this Close Quarters Combat skill?!"
[Is it possible, just a thought here, that it's not that you're too weak, but that they're too strong?]
"Seriously? They're that strong?!" He still refused to believe it, stroking his chin thoughtfully. What about that time… right! That green-haired kid from the Public Security Bureau—I couldn't beat her either…
[She would take 3 minutes to beat you. And that's being heavily generous on your part.]
Silence.
For a moment, both sides fell completely silent.
Do you think you're funny? Do you really have to crush my self-esteem like this?
Ye Qingfeng stared blankly at the clear blue sky, feeling an inexplicable urge to cry.
[You know, unless you're some kind of one-punch monster, why would you even fight in close combat?]
"That actually makes sense!" Ye Qingfeng's eyes instantly lit up. "I should be fighting Ethereals! Why would I go bare-handed against people?"
"Hahaha, you're dismissed!"
['I give up… I really don't know how I ended up with someone like this… oh well.']
---
After sorting things out, Ye Qingfeng immediately sent Nicole a message asking about the progress of the gun purchase. After waiting for a while with no reply, he slowly stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.
"I'm getting hungry. Time to find somewhere to eat."
Humming softly, Ye Qingfeng left the park. Remembering that Anby had left earlier, he pulled out his phone and sent her a message asking if she wanted to have lunch together.
Unsurprisingly, there was no reply—it was like throwing a stone into the sea.
He couldn't help wondering whether Nicole and Anby were working together. Why was no one replying to his messages?
Meanwhile, Anby was holding a bucket of popcorn, her eyes glued to a massive screen. Nicole lay sprawled on her bed, drool at the corner of her mouth as she muttered, "All this Denny is mine… don't any of you dare take it…"
Forget it. Food is more important.
Checking nearby restaurants, Ye Qingfeng eventually found a ramen shop and went inside. He ordered a super-deluxe bowl and sat quietly while waiting. Pulling out his phone, he messaged Zhu Yan.
Seeing her near-instant replies, a warm, inexplicable sweetness welled up in his chest.
Zhu Yan really is good to me… unlike those two back home!
And yet—even though Nicole often swindled him out of Denny and Anby had just beaten him senseless—Ye Qingfeng already considered the Cunning Hares his home.
-------
A/n: New content and stories posted on my patreon go check it out!
patreon.com/deadlygoober